Up to 73 percent of nutrient nitrogen in the watershed of the Lewis Bay System and Halls Creek, shared by Barnstable and Yarmouth, needs to be removed, according to the state Department of Environmental Protecttion.

Public meetings to review the draft TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) Report will be held Sept. 15 at Barnstable Town Hall in Hyannis and Sept. 23 at Yarmouth Town Hall on Route 28. Both sessions will run from 4 to 6 p.m.

"The Cape Cod Commission and the Towns of Barnstable and Yarmouth have taken great initiative and have been committed to providing the leadership necessary to improve futue water quality conditions," DEP Commissioner Laurie Burt stated in a press release.

The draft may be viewed at http://www.maass.gov/dep/water/resources/tmdls.htm#draft

The Final Technical Report may be viewed at http://www.oceanscience.net/estuaries/reports.htm